


Got The Taste For It

by ShowMeAHero



Series: burgers and cars (the diner and garage au) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Diners, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crushes, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Garages, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 16:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5634589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn works as a waiter at the Outer Rim Gardens and Saloon diner next door to Dameron's Hangar. The first time he meets the owner of the garage, Poe Dameron, he almost passes out bringing the guy his burger. It could only be the start of something beautiful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Got The Taste For It

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. This got out of hand, let me tell you.
> 
> Title taken from ["I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV5lzRHrGeg). The whole song is really cute if you're thinking about Finn and Poe, though, so I'd recommend that.

Finn worked at the Outer Rim Gardens and Saloon, an old aesthetic-looking diner, still looking the same as it had since 1953. He liked the place a lot, and he mostly only spent his free time with his roommate/co-worker/best friend Rey, so he tended to work every day but Sunday. He was saving up for - something, he wasn’t sure what yet - but he worked eight hours every day he worked there, and he thought it was more than worth it. The place was a hole-in-the-wall diner in the middle of nowhere, yeah, but he loved the staff and he liked the customers and he never minded the work, so he thought it was worth it.

He had only been working there for a few months when the guy who owned the garage next door first came in. Finn could only guess his name was Dameron, since the painted sign hanging on the building to the left of the diner said _Dameron’s Hangar_ in blocky white letters, but he had never come in before. Usually, he just sent in one of his coworkers, either a white guy with a beard or a gorgeous East Asian girl with a combo English/American/Singaporean accent; either way, they would order the same three burgers at noon every day before taking their to-go bag next door to the garage.

Dameron, though. Dameron, Finn had only ever heard tell of. Rey mentioned him sometimes, because he apparently came in some nights he worked late to grab another burger or a shake. She had nothing but nice things to say, and Finn never paid too much attention to the stories.

Looking at him now, Finn kinda wished he had been paying more attention to the stories.

Dameron glanced casually around the diner before Rey grinned at him and pointed to one of the booths. He nodded back to her, smiling and sliding into the booth, that Finn could not help but notice was in his section. Rey winked at Finn before returning to the host stand. Finn gave Dameron a minute to glance over the menu on his table before he approached, and, holy hot shit, Dameron was even better-looking up close. The guy looked up at Finn with these bright brown eyes and this winning smile and this grease smear on his cut brown jaw that made Finn want to lick it off. He mentally kicked his own ass briefly before he gathered himself.

“Hi,” Finn said, staring down at the guy, who just kept smiling back up at Finn, waiting for him to keep going. “Oh, I’m Finn. I’ll be your server today. Oh, and welcome to Outer Rim Gardens and Saloon.”

“Hi, Finn. I’m Poe,” the guy replied. He leaned on the table and his smile shifted a little, becoming more humorous and open and Finn could only think _uh-oh_ over and over. “You know, I’ve always wondered why you call it ‘Gardens and Saloon’ when you don’t have either.”

“Why do you call your garage a hangar when you don’t have any planes in there?” Finn countered, and Poe sat up, grinning. Finn had thought the guy was handsome before, but now his whole face lit up and he had these eye crinkles and Finn’s brain was starting to actually shout _UH-OH_ over and over now.

“That’s a fair point,” Poe said. Finn kept staring at him before he remembered he had a job to be doing, regardless of how handsome this guy may or may not be. May be. Probably. Is. Damn it.

“What can I get for you?” Finn asked, and Poe turned back to the menu.

“You know, I send one of my mechanics over here almost every day, and Snap and Jess only ever bring back a Black Angus burger,” Poe said conversationally. Finn nodded.

“Oh, yeah, I know Jess,” Finn replied, because he knew the girl better than he knew the guy, and Poe smiled up at him.

“You know Testor?” Poe asked, and Finn shrugged.

“I don’t know her by _Testor_ , but, yeah,” Finn said. Poe laughed.

“Just a nickname,” he assured him. “She’s a real gem.”

“She’s very pretty,” Finn said, “and funny.”

“Oh, yeah, she is,” Poe said, looking up at Finn briefly before returning his attention to the menu. “Well, like I said, she brings back a Black Angus burger every time, and I like that just fine, you know, but I’d like to try something else for a change.”

“People like the Spicy Black Bean burger,” Finn told him. Poe looked up, raising an eyebrow.

“People do?” Poe asked, and Finn shrugged again. The corner of Poe’s mouth quirked up.

“Yeah, they say so,” Finn said. “I don’t really like spicy food.”

“Well, I love spicy food, so count me in,” Poe said, tucking the menu back behind the condiments. He folded his hands on the table and grinned up at Finn as Finn scribbled down the order, even though he was about 99% sure he would not forget this one.

“How do you want that?”

“Rare.”

“Anything to drink?” Finn asked, allowing himself to look at Poe a little bit more, and Poe leaned back in his booth bench.

“Milk,” Poe said decisively. Finn scrawled it on the order pad and gave him a smile.

“I’ll get right on that.” Finn hesitated, just for a second, then left Poe in his booth. He ripped the order off the pad and stuck it up in the kitchen passthrough for Maz to cook up. She passed off a chicken sandwich for him to bring to another table, and he realized he had briefly forgot he had an actual job beyond ogling Poe Dameron. It was only about eight minutes before Poe’s food was done, though, and Finn poured him a glass of milk before bringing over his lunch.

“Thank you very much, Finn,” Poe said, tossing him a smile, and Finn nodded, setting his burger down on the table.

“I hope you like it,” Finn told him, and Poe bit a French fry in half. Finn tried not to stare so much, or at least not so obviously.

“I’m sure I will,” Poe replied. Finn paused, unsure of whether or not he should keep talking. He glanced up and caught Rey’s eye, and with that, left Poe alone, like he was supposed to, going to stand by Rey instead.

“He never comes in for lunch,” Rey murmured, keeping her head down. Finn leaned over the host stand, and she looked up at him, smiling. “Might have something to do with him asking me last night where ‘the cute waiter Jess always talks about’ was.”

“He did not,” Finn said, and Rey raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t lie, Finn,” Rey stated, and Finn nodded his head in deference.

“But still,” Finn continued, “it’s probably not _me_.”

“Well, it’s not me, and it’s not Maz, and I’d wager that it’s not Mr. Skywalker, so I’m gonna guess it’s you.” Rey rested her elbows on the stand and grinned up at Finn. “You’ve got a little boyfriend.”

“ _Rey_ ,” Finn warned, pushing her face away with one large hand, and Rey swatted at him, laughing. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You’re going to,” she sing-songed, teasing. She shoved him off and glanced over her shoulder at Poe. Finn leaned in, looking over her head at him, and Poe looked up at them. He smiled slightly, and Finn instinctively ducked down. Rey turned back to look at him, then leaned over the host stand to raise an eyebrow at him as he crouched on the ground.

“I can’t get up without looking like an idiot now,” Finn said, and Rey snorted.

“You’re gonna look like an idiot anyways, so you may as well just stand up,” Rey told him, and Finn stood up as casually as he could, which naturally involved tripping over the stand and catching himself on Rey’s shoulder. Rey steadied him before shrugging him off. She jerked her chin in Poe’s direction.

“Bring him his check, why don’t you?” she instructed. “Ask if he wants dessert first, though.”

“ _Rey_ ,” Finn groaned again. She stuck her tongue out at him, so he stuck his tongue back out at her before going back to Poe’s table. Poe leaned his forearms on the table and glanced up at him.

“My ears are burning,” Poe commented casually, and Finn’s face went hot. He forced himself to act casually, but he had the feeling he was failing when Poe’s smile widened.

“Yeah, I was just saying- Just telling her that you got that burger, it’s Rey’s favorite, too,” Finn said, trying not to sound like he was lying. He was never good at improv. “She likes that burger.”

Finn had the feeling Poe could see right through him, but Poe just let it be, taking a sip from his glass of milk before leaning back in his seat. “Well, Finn, it’s been a pleasure.”

“Do you want dessert?” Finn asked, slightly panicked, and Poe raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe later,” he said, and Finn’s knees went numb. “I’ll take a rain check.” With that, Poe handed Finn a ten and a five and stood from the table. Finn stuffed the dollars in his pocket and went to fish out change, but Poe waved him off.

“But-”

“It’s your tip, keep it,” Poe said, and Finn watched him warily. Poe stuck out his hand, and Finn took it, shaking it as firmly as he could manage. “It’s been a pleasure, Finn.”

“Yeah, ditto,” Finn replied, because he was eloquent and perfectly flirtatious, and Poe squeezed his hand before releasing him. He said goodbye to Rey before he left the diner, and Finn groaned loudly, smacking himself in the face with his order pad.

“Chin up, kid,” Maz called from the kitchen through the passthrough. “You’ll get ‘em next time!”

Finn turned to make a face at Rey just as Slip, the busboy, clapped him on the shoulder and went to clean up Poe’s table. “Ahh, don’t worry about it, I heard him asking about you.”

“Why does _everyone_ think- Wait, did you really?” Finn turned on Slip, who just laughed as Rey came over and dragged Finn back to the kitchen passthrough to bring out a plate for a nice young lady who had been waiting for Finn to get his act together so she could get her slice of apple pie.

* * *

Poe came back the next day, with Jessika in tow, and Rey grinned at them before pointing to the same booth Poe had sat in the day before. Finn went over to them, a little disheartened at seeing them together and wondering if maybe Rey had just been jerking his chain.

“Hi,” Finn said. “Sure you don’t want your food to-go?”

“Why would we when you’re here?” Jessika asked, and Poe shot her a look that Finn was beyond deciphering.

“Don’t you have a garage to run?” Finn asked, and Jessika laughed. Poe must have kicked her under the table or something, because she jerked and shot him a look.

“Snap can handle it without us for a little while,” Jessika told Finn, turning her face up to smile at him. “I had to help Poe with a little problem he’s having.”

“Oh, yeah, sure thing, sorry,” Finn said, looking down at his order pad for something to do with his hands, and hopefully hiding his face by ducking it. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Absolutely, chocolate milkshake for me, and milk for him,” Jessika said, and Finn scribbled it down. Finn glanced at Poe to see him smiling at him, even though his cheeks were a little red. Finn thought it was a good look on him. He melted a little and returned his attention to his order pad.

“Got it. Let me know when you’re ready to order food,” Finn said, and Jessika waved her hands in disagreement. Finn thought she was cute. Judging by Rey and Maz watching them, they might have agreed, or else just wanted to watch Finn crash and burn, since he was probably two seconds away from embarrassing himself. Again.

“Poe said you recommended a good burger yesterday,” Jessika said. “It takes a lot to make him change what he eats. I want to see if you can do it again.”

“Oh, yeah, I just.” Finn coughed, wishing he could turn invisible or teleport or otherwise just vanish. “Yeah. You know. Yeah.” He reached over them and pulled out a menu, setting it down in front of them. “Well, I don’t know what you guys like-”

Jessika cleared her throat pointedly. Finn glanced up at her to see her scowling at Poe, who looked perfectly innocent when Finn peeked at him. Finn just chose to ignore whatever they were doing. Probably some weird flirty inside joke, and the thought of that made his heart sink a little.

“I don’t know what you like,” Finn tried again, “but the 1667 burger is pretty good. I like it a lot, and the special sauce is serious, no fooling around. It’s good stuff.”

“Two of those, then,” Jessika told him. “One rare for him, one medium for me. And a third, well-done, to-go, because _I_ don’t forget my coworkers’ lunch when I’m distracted by my cute waiter.” The way she phrased that felt pretty specific, and Poe turned his face away. Finn felt his face burning.

“Oh. Uhm. Yeah, it’s just.” Finn stared hard at her, trying to think of something to say. “You’re… Yes. Pretty? Thank you.”

“Awh. You are _very_ cute,” Jessika said, looking him over, and Finn abruptly felt very nervous.

“Oh, I-”

“He’s gay,” Rey interrupted, appearing behind Finn and scaring the bejeesus out of him enough that he ducked slightly. Jessika laughed; Poe just turned back to grin at him.

“I’m bi,” Finn clarified. Rey rolled her eyes.

“He has a crush on a guy, so don’t waste your time,” Rey explained, looking intensely at Jessika, for some reason. Jessika nodded at her after a moment of the fierce staring.

“I don’t think I did waste my time,” Jessika said, glancing at Poe, who was looking like he could greatly benefit in getting in on the deal Finn was planning on making with the Devil so he could get the ability to disappear. Poe put his face in his hands, and Finn frowned at him. Rey glanced over his shoulder at his order pad.

“Milk, chocolate milkshake, two 1667s, got it, let’s go,” Rey listed, dragging Finn over to the kitchen passthrough.

“That was painful to watch,” Maz said, taking the order slip from Finn, and Finn shook his head.

“I have _no idea_ what just happened,” Finn admitted, confused and honest to the last, and Rey kissed his cheek.

“Just do your job,” Rey instructed, and Finn nodded, still trying to sort through everything in his head. He had basically given up on understanding what had happened when Maz passed a tray back through with Poe and Jessika’s order on it. He grabbed a glass of milk and Jessika’s milkshake and headed over to bring them their food.

“I hope you like it,” Finn said, setting their plates down carefully, and Jessika beamed up at him.

“I’m sure we will,” Jessika assured him.

“It looks great,” Poe said, taking a sip of his milk. He looked up at Finn, and Finn realized this was the first thing Poe had said to him all day. Poe seemed to become aware of that, too, and so the two of them just stared at each other for a moment before Poe broke out into a smile. Finn grinned right back at him.

“I hope you like it,” Finn repeated, and Poe laughed. Finn wanted to put his laugh on the menu.

“If you like it, I’m certain I will, too,” Poe promised him. Finn stared at him for a second more before mentally kicking himself. When he glanced at Jessika, she was already looking up at him, smiling away, eating a handful of French fries.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just a casual observer,” Jessika said, and Finn blushed so hard he thought his head might erupt. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his apron, then took them out, then put them back in.

“Enjoy your burgers,” Finn said, a little too loudly, before leaving their table.

“Yeah, that’s definitely him, boss,” Jessika whispered behind him as he left, and Finn heard Poe shush her. He blushed again, heading over to bring out orders for the other tables. Maz winked at him when he glanced down at her through the passthrough, and Finn frowned at her.

“You don’t know me,” he hissed down at her, and she shrugged.

“I know enough,” Maz said. “And I’ve got eyes, haven’t I?”

Finn threw his hands up in frustration before bringing a cute little boy and his grandmother a brownie sundae. It took him some time before he actually could get back to Poe and Jessika’s table.

“Was it good?” Finn asked, taking up their plates and passing them off to Slip, who managed to get them to the back room for cleaning without dropping them, which was a miracle in and of itself.

“I loved it,” Poe replied, smiling. “Excellent recommendation, thank you, Finn.”

“You’re welcome,” Finn said. Jessika leaned into Finn’s field of vision.

“I liked it, too,” Jessika told him, and Finn wondered what he did in a past life to deserve the mortification flooding his chest.

“Did you want dessert?” Finn asked, slightly choked, and Poe shook his head.

“Rain check,” Poe said, taking up the check and reaching for his wallet.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Finn responded, without thinking, and Poe looked up at him just as Finn realized what he had said. His mortification had morphed into a strong desire to be burned alive.

“Sounds like a plan.” Poe smiled at him and handed him two twenties. “Keep the change as a tip.”

“Thanks,” Finn said, his voice a little high and weird. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Thanks.” No change. Fuck.

“See you later, Finn,” Jessika interrupted his nonsense, standing up and motioning to Poe, who rolled his eyes but followed her. Jessika stopped next to Finn and leaned in, close enough that Finn was pretty sure Poe would not hear whatever she was going to say.

“We’re not together,” Jessika whispered. “In case you were wondering. And he is _very_ into guys.”

“I wasn’t wondering,” Finn lied blatantly, and Jessika raised an eyebrow at him knowingly before leaving the restaurant with Poe, who seemed to be scolding her the second they were out the door. Slip appeared with a rag to clean the table, and Rey pulled Finn away from the middle of the diner over to the host stand.

“Did he proposition you or something?” Rey asked under her breath, as soon as they were secluded off to the side. “Your face was so _red_. I thought he might have been offering to blow you under the table.”

“ _Rey!_ ” Finn exclaimed, scandalized, cheeks burning. Rey stroked his arm, frowning in exaggerated sympathy.

“You poor thing,” Rey murmured. “You really have no idea.”

“Jess said they’re not dating,” Finn blurted, and Rey patted his cheek.

“You’ll figure it out,” Rey said, and Finn wondered what he was missing. He glanced out the window, watching as Poe and Jessika returned to the garage next door. Poe looked great, Finn thought absently, observing him as he pulled his work jumpsuit back on and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back out of his face. Poe glanced at the street, then disappeared inside his garage. A throat clearing behind Finn made him jump.

“Slow day, Finn?” the deep voice asked, and Finn threw his arm up over his face, startled. Mr. Skywalker laughed when Finn relaxed and rubbed at his face with his hands.

“Yeah, little bit,” Finn answered, scrubbing at his eyes. “Yikes. Sorry.”

“No problem,” Mr. Skywalker replied. He tipped his head in the direction of the restaurant at large. “Maybe stop staring at the garage and get back to work, though.”

“Yes, sir,” Finn said, scrambling to get to the kitchen, ignoring Rey laughing at him. He glanced back to see Mr. Skywalker cuff the back of Rey’s head, which only made her make an indignant sound without stopping her laughter. Finn got back to work fast, trying not to smile.

* * *

The next day was a Saturday, and Finn was half-waiting on customers, half-helping Maz in the kitchen. Poe came in around the same time he had the past couple of days, but he just happened to come in while Finn was in the kitchen. Finn emerged with three plates lined up his arm and two milkshakes in his other hand, and he nearly dropped it all when he saw Poe was already sitting in his booth. Finn managed to get the food over to its proper table before he hurried over to help Poe.

“Hey,” Finn said, and Poe snapped up to him, seeming surprised. He got over it a second later, grinning up at Finn.

“Hey, buddy. I thought I might’ve had to give Rey my order today,” Poe replied, and Finn wondered if he imagined the latent disappointment that was disappearing from his tone. He felt like he was either reading too much into Poe’s actions, and making a mountain out of a molehill, or that he was not reading enough into Poe’s actions, and was being dense and oblivious.

“Nope, I’m all yours,” Finn said, and he wondered if Poe might let him stab himself in the face with the fork on the table. It would probably be less embarrassing than anything else that might - and probably would - come out of his mouth. Poe quirked an eyebrow at him, and Finn wanted to kiss him. _Whoah_. Where the hell did that come from? Crushing and kissing were two separate things. Oops.

“What do you recommend for me today?” Poe asked, leaning over, smiling, and Finn swallowed before reaching over Poe to take his menu. He skimmed the burgers before pointing one out.

“If you like spicy, the Blackjack burger is pretty popular,” Finn told him. “Cajun spice, chipotle mayo. Oh, yeah, and I think there’s pepperjack on there.”

“Sounds ace.” Poe tucked his menu away and looked up at Finn, grinning. “I’ll have that, rare, and milk.”

“Awesome,” Finn said, scribbling it down. He took the order into the kitchen and set to work on preparing Poe’s order this time, since he actually did know how to make the burger and Maz was currently swamped. He pulled together the meal as best as he could before pouring a glass of milk and bringing it out to Poe.

“Did you make this?” Poe asked as Finn set the burger down. Finn shrugged, putting the milk beside the plate. “I just- You went in the kitchen and never came out.”

“Yeah, we usually get pretty busy at Saturdays, we all try to help out wherever we can,” Finn explained. Poe took a bite of the burger and beamed at him.

“It’s perfect,” Poe told him. “Thanks so much.”

“I’m glad,” Finn replied. The two of them watched each other for a second, and Finn breezed a hand over his face after a moment, breaking the stare. Poe laughed, a little breathlessly, and Finn smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Absolutely, yeah, I will,” Poe agreed, and Finn went to see if Rey would let him hole up under the host stand, maybe let him live there for the next thirty years. Predictably, she promptly kicked him out, and Finn managed to keep himself busy until he noticed Poe had finished eating.

“Do you want dessert?” Finn asked, pulling out the receipt as he asked, and Poe shook his head.

“Rain check,” Poe said, smiling like he had the past couple days when he said the same thing. “But I will take one Baja Turkey burger and one 1667 burger to-go.”

“Tell Jess and Snap I said hi,” Finn said when he brought the burgers out for Poe to take. Poe assured him he would, paid with two twenties, told him to keep the change, shook his hand again, and vanished back towards the garage. Slip pat Finn on the back when Finn banged his head against the doorjamb in the kitchen doorway and groaned.

* * *

Sundays, Finn tended not to go in, because it was pretty slow and Mr. Skywalker knew he would come in if he was needed. So, on Sunday, Finn slept in, tried not to think about Poe, made himself breakfast at two in the afternoon, tried not to think about Poe, marathoned _Chopped_ until Rey got home, and failed at not thinking about Poe.

“Poe asked about you today,” Rey said, falling onto the sofa beside him, a plate of reheated pancakes in her hands.

“Did he?” Finn asked, trying not to seem too interested, but Rey saw right through him, as always, rolling her eyes as she picked up a pancake in her hands and started to eat it.

“Yup,” she said around a mouthful of pancake and blueberries and syrup. “Seemed pretty disappointed you weren’t there.”

“Oh,” Finn said, eloquently. Rey nudged him.

“Just ask him out,” Rey advised him. Finn shrugged and buried himself further in the cushions of the sofa.

* * *

For the whole next two weeks, Poe came in at the same time every single day. Sometimes he came with Snap, sometimes with Jess, sometimes with both, but he typically tended to come alone. He ordered a different burger every time, taking Finn’s suggestions each time he got them. He got milk, he left a good tip, he usually remembered burgers for Jess and Snap, and he asked for a rain check on dessert every time.

Finn may be thick sometimes, but he was not a dumb man by any stretch, and he was starting to very heavily suspect that Poe might be into him, too. Poe was also starting to get a little more pointed with his comments, and Finn thought he, himself, was getting a little better at flirting. However, he did not seem to be _getting_ anywhere with it, try as he might. And he did try, scouring Google on his lunch break to find different ways to seem more flirtatious and trying to memorize WikiHow pages on flirting that he read on his laptop at night while Rey loudly snored in the room next to his.

On Saturday, Poe came in with an oil smear on his cheek, and Finn made him a Breakfast-All-Day burger, which made Poe’s eyes light up when he tasted it.

“You added Cajun spices,” Poe commented, and Finn smiled, shrugging a little.

“I know you like it,” Finn told him. “I also put in some avocado for you.”

“You’re my hero, Finn,” Poe said sincerely, a grin tugging at his mouth. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Finn’s kneecaps disappeared and seemed to reappear somewhere in his throat. “Yeah. Yes. Ahh… Yes.” Eloquent. Perfect. How could Poe not love this. Finn grappled for something to say that would seem less idiotic than blurting out _then take more of me_ , like he wanted to. “You’ve got-” He pointed at his own cheek, then at Poe’s. “Oil. Something.”

Poe smirked at him, then wiped at his face with the end of his t-shirt sleeve, only succeeding in smudging the oil around on his tan skin. Finn hesitated, then reached out, wiping the smear away with his thumb. Poe stared up at him, eyes locked on Finn’s, and Finn’s hand slowed. He pulled away, slightly, and Poe swallowed.

“Thanks,” Poe said, sounding slightly choked. He cleared his throat and shook his head a little. “Yeah. Thanks.” He sounded much more collected now than Finn usually did, damn him. The air between them seemed to crackle, Finn thought, and wondered if he was watching too many romantic comedies. Rey always said they would lead to his downfall. She may, for once, be right.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Finn told him, finally straightening up and leaning away. Poe seemed about ready to say something, but his jaw snapped shut at the last second and he smiled.

“I will,” Poe assured him, and Finn left him alone to eat. When he came back with the receipt and to ask if Poe wanted dessert, Poe said, “Rain check,” and Finn let him leave without protest, even though he wanted so badly to call in that rain check.

* * *

The next day, a Sunday, Rey texted him while she was at work and he was hanging around their apartment. He was sitting on the barstool at their kitchen island, swinging his legs as he ate cornflakes in his boxers, and he skimmed his phone before reading her text.

_Rey [12:12pm]: poe’s here and he’s asking for you_

_Rey [12:15pm]: ordered a veggie burger_

_Rey [12:29pm]: took a rain check on dessert. said to tell you hi if i saw you_

_Rey [12:32pm]: this is getting sad, finn_

Finn rolled his eyes before locking his phone and returning his attention to his cornflakes, trying to ignore the hole trying to burn itself through the left side of his chest. He gave up after about thirty seconds and let his forehead drop to the counter, groaning loudly and slamming his head into the fake granite a few times.

Rey looked surprised to see Finn when he came in an hour and a half later, wearing nicer clothes than he tended to for work, dressing up a little bit more than he usually did, even on his off-days. Maz whistled at him when he went in the kitchen, Rey at his heels.

“What are you gonna do?” Rey asked, eyes twinkling as Finn started rooting through the fridge.

“I’m cashing in the rain check on dessert,” Finn answered, and Rey threw her arms around him, delighted. She kissed his cheek and ardently expressed her enthusiasm for his plan before returning back to the diner to host. Finn pulled together a chocolate molten lava cake, boxed it up, grabbed two forks, packed in two to-go cups of milk, and slipped out the kitchen’s back door, ignoring Maz’s prodding hands and probing questions. Finn made his way to the garage, cutting through the backyard where a little orange-and-white corgi dog barked his head off at him. Finn got around to the front door and went right in when he found it unlocked. Snap was sitting at the front desk, filling out paperwork, but he looked up and grinned smugly when he caught sight of Finn.

“He’s in the back, probably under the black and orange job,” Snap told him quietly, seeming excited. Finn thanked him and went further into the garage. Jess was sitting on the ground against one wall, fiddling with something metal in her hands, trying to fit pieces of something together. When she caught sight of Finn, she grinned, stood up, and ghosted out of the place, likely to join Snap in the front room to gossip about them. Finn made his way hesitantly over to a long black car with orange detailing, assuming it must be the car Snap was referring to.

“Hey, Jess?” Poe called, and Finn glanced over his shoulder before realizing there was nobody there to answer but him.

“Jess left,” Finn answered, and there was the sound of something clanging against metal, and Finn hoped Poe had not been too startled and hit his head. Poe pushed out from under the car, covered in grease and oil, his teeth blindingly white as he sat up and smiled at Finn.

“Hey, Finn, I thought today was your day off,” Poe said, standing up and pulling a rag out of his back pocket to wipe his hands and face off on. It barely did anything, but Finn appreciated the effort. Finn motioned to Poe with the box and the forks in his hands.

“Rey said you were asking about me,” Finn told him, and he could tell Poe was blushing even under all the grease. “I thought you could use a break, figured I’d finally cash in that rain check you’re always taking on dessert.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, absolutely,” Poe agreed, eager and grinning. He tucked the rag back into his back pocket before frowning down at his hands. “I’m gonna go clean up real quick, okay, buddy?”

“Sure thing,” Finn said. “I’ll be here.”

Poe hesitated, smiling at him, before he disappeared into a small room off the garage. Finn cast around for a chair before giving up and settling on a clean patch of concrete floor. He unpacked the lava cake and the milk, and was just unwrapping the fork packets when Poe came back. He was mostly clean, and had seemed to have combed his hair back and smoothed it down, as well. He sat down across from Finn on the floor, crossing his legs and taking a fork when one was handed to him.

“So,” Poe asked, taking a good chunk out of the cake and shoving it in his mouth. “Did you make this one, too?”

“Yeah,” Finn answered, pushing the ice cream down into the cake until it started to melt into it. He took a bite. “Like I said, I thought you could use a break. It seems like you work a lot.”

“Well, I take good lunch breaks, as you know,” Poe laughed. He looked up at Finn, cheeks red, eyes bright. “Seriously, though. Thanks so much. It means a lot to me.”

Finn nodded, and the two of them stared at each other over the slowly-dissolving cake. Finn swallowed nervously, and Poe twiddled his fork in his hands, twisting it between his fingers. They both started to talk at the same time, and they both laughed before falling silent. Poe leaned back, taking another, smaller bite of the cake, chewing thoughtfully as he seemed to be observing Finn. Finn put his fork down and rubbed at the back of his neck. Poe followed his lead, putting his fork down in the cake box and watching Finn, waiting for him to talk.

Talking, however, was usually not so much Finn’s strong suit, so Finn decided to play to his strengths and just _act_ instead. He put one hand on the concrete floor and leaned over the cake to kiss Poe like he had wanted to do for weeks. Poe jerked in surprise, and Finn pulled away before he could start to kiss back. They stared at each other for a second before Finn scrambled to his feet.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, because Poe was still staring at him, unspeaking, barely even blinking. He turned to leave as Poe finally unfroze and leapt to his feet.

“Finn!” he called after him, but Finn kept at it, blowing past Snap and Jess, who looked confused as he rushed through the front door without looking at them. Finn unlocked his bike and hopped on it, taking off at the fastest speed he could take, replaying the scene in his head over and over again. Poe not moving, not responding, clearly uncomfortable, god _damn_ it, he fucked it all up, he should have asked or talked to him about it or just not been so _stupid_ as to think that Poe was flirting with _him_ , when Poe was all handsome and roguish and funny and _fuck_ , just _fuck_ it _all_ straight to Hell.

Rey got back to their place that night, tossing her keys in the bowl by the entry and slamming the front door behind her. Finn could hear her stomping through the apartment.

“Finn! You come out right now!” Rey shouted, and Finn pulled his comforter further over his head.

“No,” he called back. “I’m never leaving the apartment again and you can’t make me, so just leave me alone.”

Rey jimmied the lock on his bedroom door within seconds, since the thing was already basically useless from several years of her jimmying and breaking and entering. She sat on the edge of his bed, the mattress dipping slightly towards her as she leaned over to pull the comforter off and expose his face. He stared at the far wall, frowning.

“What’d you do?” Rey asked. When he refused to answer, she laid down next to him, her face filling his vision as she studied his expression. “Finn. It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” he said, and she frowned. “I kissed him.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Rey asked, forehead creased in concern, and Finn groaned, burying his face in his pillow.

“He didn’t even kiss me back,” Finn moaned. “He was clearly uncomfortable and now we can’t even be friends and I fucked it all up, I just know I did, I shouldn’t have done it, I should have asked him or talked to him or just said something, I don’t know, said anything, I just know he’s gotta hate me now because what kind of a friend _does_ something like that-”

“Finn, slow down,” Rey interrupted, and Finn exhaled shakily into his pillowcase. She reached down and tangled their hands together. “He came in after you left asking if you had come over to the diner. I said no, and he said he was worried he upset you and that _that_ was why you had left.”

“He thought _he_ upset _me_?” Finn asked, incredulous. Rey nodded. “But- But- I don’t understand. How could he-”

“How could _you_ ,” Rey cut him off, and Finn frowned.

“I’m so confused,” Finn admitted, and Rey squeezed his hand.

“I can’t really help,” she said, “because you have to figure this out for yourself. But, relax. Think about it. I really think you’re panicking over nothing.”

“Yeah?” Finn asked, and Rey leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah,” she assured him. She spent a few more minutes in his quiet company while he sorted through his thoughts before she got up and stretched. “I’m gonna shower and make spaghetti, if you want some.”

“I’ll make the meatballs,” Finn offered, after a moment of silence, and she pat his hair.

“Good boy,” she murmured, and Finn turned his face into the pillow again, cheeks burning. They had a nice dinner and a good night’s sleep, but Finn still had to be strongly persuaded to actually go to work the next morning. Rey basically dragged him to their bikes, then followed behind him the whole way to the diner, keeping an eye on him, instead of racing him like she usually did.

When they got there, there were two figures outside the entrance to the diner. One of them was sitting on the ground against the door, the other one running around in circles on the grass next to the pathway leading up to the restaurant. When Finn got closer, stopped, and got off his bike, he realized the figure running was the dog from the back of the garage, and the figure against the door was Poe, watching his dog with shadowed amusement. When he saw Finn and Rey, he scrambled to his feet.

“Hey,” he called out to Finn and Rey as they got closer. The dog bounded over to them, and Rey crouched down to scratch behind his ears. Finn watched the dog, avoiding Poe’s eyes. Poe snapped his fingers and called, “BB-8, come,” and the corgi sprinted back to his owner, sitting at Poe’s feet and waiting eagerly for his next command.

Rey passed by Poe and his dog, unlocking the restaurant and making her way inside. Finn followed her, stopping next to Poe and making awkward, silent eye contact. After a moment, Finn jerked his chin towards the restaurant, and Poe nodded. He tied BB-8 up outside the diner before following Finn inside. Finn hesitated for a second before leading Poe to his usual table, sliding into the seat opposite the one Poe always took. Finn sat in silence, trying to gather his thoughts, and he appreciated that Poe had not tried to talk yet. Rey brought them both coffee, fingers brushing Finn’s shoulder reassuringly before she left.

“I’m sorry,” Finn finally said. “I shouldn’t’ve just kissed you. I know you’re not supposed to do that, but I was just feeling- And I thought- But I shouldn’t’ve done it, I know that. I should’ve asked you. I’m so, _so_ sorry.”

“ _You’re_ sorry?” Poe asked, seeming surprised. “ _I’m_ sorry. I pushed you, that was wrong of me. I didn’t know what you wanted, and I didn’t kiss you back, and I’m sorry for that, too. I was just really… _surprised_.”

Finn was focusing on the swirl of creamer in his coffee, trying to hide his burning cheeks from Poe, but he peeked up at him to see him watching Finn intently.

“Good surprised?” Finn asked, and Poe’s whole face broke open, seemingly beaming sunlight right out of him as he grinned.

“ _Very_ good surprised,” Poe assured him, and Finn looked back down at his coffee.

“Could I, maybe,” he hesitated, shrugging slightly, “I don’t know. Kiss you? Again? Try again? Maybe?”

“Maybe,” Poe said, “or definitely, yeah. You could definitely do that. I’d like that.”

“I really am sorry,” Finn repeated, and Poe shook his head.

“Don’t be,” Poe told him. “Really. It was just a misunderstanding.” He pushed their coffees aside and leaned over the table, waiting for Finn to make the last move. “Don’t apologize. It’s really nothing. Just a funny story to tell people when they ask how we got together.”

Finn’s heart pounded into his throat at those words, and he forcefully swallowed it back down. He tried to ignore the fact that his brain seemed to have dropped down into his stomach, his lungs down to his knees, and that his hands were alternatively shaking and numb. He nodded jerkily before leaning over the table and pushing their lips together. Poe turned his head, just slightly, and Finn sighed, reaching up to cup Poe’s face in his hand. Poe grabbed at the back of Finn’s head, holding him as they kissed. They broke apart when Finn could no longer take the angle across the table.

“Maybe you should try cashing in that rain check again,” Poe suggested, hand halfway to his mouth, like he wanted to touch his lips. Finn caught his breath and nodded, grinning widely. He saw his smile reflected on Poe’s face.

“I’d like that,” Finn agreed, and Poe leaned over to kiss him again, and Finn accidentally knocked over one of their coffee cups, leading to a lot of jumping up and frantic napkins and, eventually, more kissing, until Rey shooed them back outside.

* * *

Seven months later, Poe came into the diner at noon, like he always did, and asked Finn to take his lunch break with him, like he tended to do. Finn left his apron at the host stand with Rey and brought Poe the spicy disaster of a burger that had become his namesake at the Outer Rim Gardens and Saloon. He brought a 1667 burger for himself and settled down with the food and two glasses of milk for them. Poe was barely touching his food, though, and Finn slowed down halfway through his burger to glance at him warily.

“Is something wrong?” Finn asked, putting his burger down, and Poe shook his head, picking up his burger, then setting it down. “Something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“ _Poe_ -”

“Finn,” Poe interrupted, smiling at him, and Finn raised an eyebrow. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. Eat your lunch.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Finn said, clearly disbelieving. He returned his attention to the burger, and only looked up again a couple minutes later when Poe faltered partway through the story he was telling. Finn glanced at him to see he had anxiously pushed something across the table. Finn put the remnants of his burger down and frowned down at the box on the table.

“Did you get me a gift?” Finn asked, raising an eyebrow at Poe, who just half-shrugged.

“Guess you’ll have to open it and find out,” Poe told him, teasing, but his attention was too sharp on Finn for him to come off as light-hearted as he usually did. Finn cleaned his hands off on his napkin and picked up the box.

“Did I forget something?” Finn inquired, and Poe looked about ready to lunge and open the box for him.

“Just open it,” Poe instructed, watching him closely. Finn hesitated, then took the lid off the box and pulled out what was inside, removing a small key. He looked up at Poe, who was grinning back at him.

“What’s this unlock?” Finn asked, pulse pounding through his veins. “A secret chest? Your heart?”

“My apartment,” Poe said. “Well. Your apartment. _Well. Our_ apartment. Before you say anything,” Poe hurried to say, because Finn was, indeed, opening his mouth to interrupt, but he closed it. “I talked to Rey, and she already has a new roommate lined up if you say yes, and I figured it was time for me to move out of the back room of the shop, and, well, I found us this really great place, and it’s got a couple of bedrooms, and I think it’s really nice, but if you don’t like it, you know, we’ll find somewhere else.” He glanced at Finn, at Finn’s shell-shocked expression, and just decided to barrel on, the risk-taker he always was. “It’s not a ring, but it will be.”

Finn wrapped his fingers around the key, the metal warming in his palm. He looked up at Poe, and wondered if he had loved anyone more than he loved Poe right in this moment. He leaned up over the table and grabbed Poe’s shirt with his free hand, tangling his fingers in the worn fabric and yanking him close enough to kiss.

“I love you,” Finn said into his mouth, smiling. “Yeah, of course, of course I’ll live with you, I _love_ you.”

“Happy to hear it,” Poe replied, pulling back slightly to look Finn in the eye before they crashed together again, ignoring Rey’s hollering from the host stand. Finn kissed Poe breathless, one hand still folded around the key that had just become his most important possession, and he thanked whatever lucky stars he had for Poe Dameron. Poe kissed him back like he was thinking the same thing.

**Author's Note:**

> The original prompt was just: "au where character a [poe] works at a garage next to the restaurant where character b [finn] works. character a always comes in every day character b works and orders something different each time." That's it. That's all it was. And I made this monstrosity.
> 
> All the dishes were taken from the menu for the [Cambridge Common](http://cambridgecommonrestaurant.com/food/), so shout-out to that masterpiece of a restaurant.
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter at [@nicoIodeon](https://twitter.com/nicoIodeon) or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


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